Form 2 - The Phantom of the Opera - Chapter Summaries (With Pictures & Videos)

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The Paris Opera House

The Opera House in Paris is a very famous and beautiful building. It was built in 1861. It is known as the Palais Garnier in French.

The facade of Palais Garnier, also known as the Opéra de Paris or Opéra Garnier
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paris_Opera_full_frontal_architecture,_May_2009.jpg)

It is the biggest Opera House in the world. It has seventeen floors. Behind and under the stage, there are stairs, passages and many rooms. There are more than 2,500 doors in the building.

The Grand Staircase
(Source: http://lh4.ggpht.com/__Le_vMi7wPE/StKlOQKQ2xI/AAAAAAAAE6g/428tjFwPLAI/Opera_Garnier_Grand_Escalier.jpg)




The stage overlooking the seats, the boxes and the famous chandelier. 

The audience watch the opera from their boxes.

Close-up picture of the grand ceiling and chandelier.
Many people believe that there is a ghost in the Opera House as a lot of strange things happen inside the building. Some people say that the ghost has a body without a head, or a head without a body. Some people even claim that the ghost has a yellow face, no nose and black holes for eyes.

The Phantom of the Opera as portrayed in the 1925 classic movie

This is the true story of the Phantom of the Opera. It begins one day in 1880, in the dancers' dressing-room...

Chapter 1: The dancers
  • A dancer named Annie Sorelli claims that she saw the ghost's face outside the room.
  • The other dancers mention that Joseph Buquet, a man who works on the fourth floor under the stage, has seen the ghost. 
  • One of the dancers named Meg Giry warns the girls not to talk about the ghost because the ghost doesn't like it.
  • Meg Giry's mother, Madame Giry, works as the doorkeeper for some of the boxes in the Opera House. According to Madame Giry, the ghost watches the operas from Box 5, and sometimes he leaves flowers for her.
  • That night after the opera, Madame Giry breaks the news that Joseph Buquet is found dead with a rope around his neck.
  • The Opera Ghost is blamed for Joseph Buquet's death.
    The chairs in Box 5


    Chapter 2: The directors of the Opera House
    • Monsieur Armand and Monsieur Firmin, the new directors of the Opera House, receive a letter from the O.G. - the Opera Ghost.
    • The Opera Ghost tells them not to sell tickets for Box 5 and demands 20,000 francs for his work in the Opera House. The Opera Ghost warns the directors that he can be a good friend, but a bad enemy.
    • The directors believe that there is no ghost in the Opera House. So, they just ignore the letter because they think that it is a bad joke. 
    • Monsieur Firmin suggests that Christine Daae sings Margarita in Faust for that night's Opera because La Carlotta is ill.
    Chapter 3: Christine Daaé
    Watch Christine Daae's debut singing performance in the 2004 The Phantom of the Opera.

    • People love Christine, the new Margarita in Faust.
    • Christine's performance catches the attention of Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny. They have met each other in Brittany four years before.
    • After the opera, Raoul visits Christine in her dressing-room. However, Raoul is angry when Christine says that she doesn't know him and asks him to leave the room.
    • Raoul waits outside her room. He hears a man's voice in the room.
    • When Christine leaves her room, Raoul enters the room but there is no one there.
    Chapter 4: The Phantom is angry
    • La Carlotta is going to sing Margarita in the next Faust.
    • The directors receive a second letter from the Opera Ghost. The Opera Ghost is angry because they don't fulfill his demands. The Opera Ghost wants Christine to sing Margarita instead of La Carlotta. 
    • They seek Madame Giry's help. Madame Giry advises the directors to follow the Opera Ghost's orders to avoid any accidents. She also warns them about what had happened to Joseph Buquet.
    • The directors refuse to listen to her advice. 
    Chapter 5: A letter for Raoul
    • Christine sends a letter to Raoul stating that she still remembers him. She would like to meet him in the Tuileries Gardens.
    • Christine explains why she did not keep in touch with Raoul after their meeting in Brittany. She realizes that she will never be Raoul's wife because she is just a poor singer from Norway. She returns to France to be the best opera singer in Paris.
    • When Raoul asks about a man's voice in her dressing-room, Christine refuses to tell Raoul his name. According to Christine, she has never seen the man and only hears his voice. Christine regards the man as her angel of music because he is her music teacher and he loves her.
    Chapter 6: La Carlotta sings Margarita
    • La Carlotta receives a letter. The writer of the letter threatens her that accidents can happen and she will lose her voice forever if she goes to the Opera House and sings Margarita that night. Angrily, La Carlotta ignores the threats.
    • During Faust that night, Monsieur Armand and Monsieur Firmin sit down in Box 5. Nothing strange happens at the beginning of the performance.
    • As La Carlotta begins to sing a love song, her voice sounds like a toad. 
    • Then, the famous chandelier crashes down onto the people below. One woman is killed and many people are hurt. 
    • The Opera House closes for two weeks and La Carlotta never sings again.
    The following movie clip is taken from the 2004 The Phantom of the Opera. Watch how funny La Carlotta's voice sound.

      The next movie clip shows how the famous chandelier crashes during an opera show. In this 2004 The Phantom of the Opera movie, the chandelier crashes as the Phantom kidnaps Christine after the performance, which obviously differ from the plot in the Form 2 Literature text book.



      Chapter 7: My angel of music
      • Christine disappears for a few days. Two days before the Opera House opens again, Christine asks Raoul to meet her on the tenth floor at the top of the Opera House.
      • Christine tells Raoul that the Phantom appears in front of her for the first time in her dressing-room. The Phantom wears black evening clothes and a mask over his face.
      • The Phantom, whose name is Erik, takes Christine to his house on the lake, under the Opera House. 
      The following movie clip is taken from the 2004 The Phantom of the Opera which shows the scene where the Phantom takes Christine to his house on a lake, under the Opera House.
        • Erik takes off his mask. Christine sees his ugly and terrible face.
        The following clip is taken from the 1983 The Phantom of the Opera TV Series which shows the unmasking scene of the Phantom. In this scene, Christine takes off the Phantom's mask not the Phantom himself.

        • Christine says that Erik is neither a ghost nor an angel of music. Erik is a man and he confesses his love to Christine.
        • Christine is afraid that Erik is going to kill Raoul. So, she promises to return Erik's love for the sake of Raoul's life.
        • Raoul plans to runaway with Christine after the opera on Saturday night.
        • On their way down, they meet the Persian who tells them to use the front stairs.
        Chapter 8: Where is Christine Daaé
        • All Paris know about the love story between Christine Daae and the Vicomte de Chagny. Raoul's brother, Comte Philippe does not approve of their relationship as Christine is too young and only an opera singer. Comte Philippe also thinks that Christine is mad for telling Raoul about ghosts and phantoms in the Opera House.
        • Monsieur Armand and Monsieur Firmin agree to obey the Opera Ghost's demands so as to avoid any accidents. They leave Box 5 free for that night's opera, let Christine sings Margarita and pay 20,000 francs to the Opera Ghost.
        • Christine Daae sings like an angel that night. All Paris loves Christine's performance.
        • Suddenly, every light in the Opera House goes out. When the lights come back on again, Christine Daae is no longer on the stage.
        • According to Meg Giry, Raoul and the Persian are also missing.
        Chapter 9: The House on the lake
        • The Persian takes Raoul to Erik's house. Unfortunately, they end up in Erik's torture room. The room is all mirrors and hot. The pictures in the mirrors move and dance in front of Raoul and the Persian. They are dying.
        • Erik confesses his love to Christine again. He asks Christine to marry him and be his wife in order to save Raoul and the Persian's lives.
        • Christine agrees to marry Erik and kisses him lovingly.
        • Erik is touched by Christine's kind act and willingness.
        • He frees Christine, Raoul and the Persian.
        Chapter 10: Madame Giry visits the Persian
        • Madame Giry visits the Persian and learns that the Phantom is dead.
        • The Persian tells her about Erik's skills and his past friendship with Erik.
        • Nobody knows what happen to Christine and Raoul.
        Reference:
        Basset, Jennifer (2002) The Phantom of the Opera Student's Edition Form 2. Malaysia. Fajar Bakti Sdn. Bhd. 

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